I am
the president of an association of former military and
overseas dependents, their educators, and families,
called OVERSEAS BRATS.

What were your
favorite subjects in school?

In
high school, band and social studies. In college, I
enjoyed all my subjects.

What were your least
favorite, or most difficult subjects?

In
high school, English and math. In college, math and
science were the most difficult for me.

Which courses
prepared you most for your career?

In
high school, all my course subjects prepared me in some
way for my career. But the biggest education of all
that laid part of the pathway for my career was the fact
that I went to schools throughout the U.S., Germany,
France, Hawaii, Thailand, and Iran. In college, my
course work in journalism, sociology and history were the
greatest help.

What is an Overseas
Brat?

This
is an affectionate term given to an American who has gone
to school outside the U.S.

Why did you found
Overseas Brats?

Because
I saw the need to help others just like myself.
There are more than four million of us in this situation,
and when I got interested in the mid-1980's, there was no
organization around dedicated to serving people with this
special heritage.

Are you currently a
journalist or do you dedicate yourself to OSB full time?

I am a
journalist by background (I have a degree in broadcast
journalism), and I do work full-time for OSB.

Do you consider what
you do for OSB journalistic in nature?

Yes,
because one of my main responsibilities with OSB is
publishing a magazine three times a year for our
membership, and a specialized newsletter for our higher
paying membership.

Did you find yourself
becoming attached to any one place? Did you ever
put down roots?

I
tried to make the best of all the situations I lived in,
so yes, I was attached to all the above locations.
I don't think I had any sense of roots growing up.

What languages do you
speak?

Now,
besides English, I maintain some fluency in Spanish.
Growing up abroad I learned (and still have some
knowledge) German, French, Thai, Farsi (Persian), and
Italian.

How did your life as
a "global nomad" affect your life or influence
you?

It
played a major role or influence in my life, because this
became my career.

Do you still travel?

Yes!
With OVERSEAS BRATS, I host regional events and an annual
national convention throughout the U.S. I'm also
involved with the cruise industry, so I do two to three
cruises a year to Mexico, the Bahamas or Caribbean
destinations.

What do you like best
about traveling and living in different countries?

Meeting
the people, learning their cultures and languages.
This really broadened up my perspective on the world.

What were the
disadvantages of that life?

Not
having a sense of roots.

How did moving affect
your education?

It
enhanced it considerably.

What advice do you
have for children who never have the opportunity to
travel beyond their place of birth?

Take
the opportunity to learn another language not your own.
See what you can do to meet people, wherever you live,
who are foreigners. Look beyond wherever you live
to consider how others think of people in your country.

What advice do you
have for children who will be moving to some foreign
country because of their parent's job?

As
difficult as this time may be, because I know you are
leaving behind some wonderful friends, try to look at
your move and your life as a special opportunity to
experience life in a way you never thought possible.
Look at your forthcoming experience as a terrific
opportunity to meet new people, learn another language
and culture, and this will definitely help you in
whatever future you decide for yourself.

What advice do you
have for children who never settle anywhere long enough
to know where "home" is?

I know
what they are feeling, because I grew up with that
feeling. For those in that situation, I tell them:
"home" now becomes defined in not a building or
where you live, but the kinds of friends you meet
whenever or wherever you are overseas. Whenever I
meet with people that I've described here, that's when I
feel that I at "home!"

Do you have a
favorite quote which inspires you?

Two
quotes come to mind. One comes from Dr. William
Keough, who was the last superintendent of the Tehran
American School, in Iran, who would become one of 52
Americans who was held hostage by Iran between November
1979 and January 1981. His experience resulted in
his getting ALS [commonly known as Lou Gehrig's
Disease] which eventually
killed him. He said the following:

"Never be
afraid to leave your foot prints in the snow."

What
he was trying to share was don't be afraid to make a
positive impact on life in general.

The
other one comes from Sir Winston Churchill, who was Prime
Minister of Britain during World War II. At a
speech he gave at Oxford University, he gave the shortest
graduation speech in the history of that institution when
he told the graduates just six words: